In a key signal to Bay Area school districts, Santa Clara County officials said Tuesday that schools must follow strict social distancing requirements and mask if they reopen for in-person learning this fall, but if School and health officials take that route amid growing cases of coronavirus. It remains to be seen.
While the most populous county in the Bay Area wants “all students and teachers to return to school as soon as possible,” officials have yet to decide how much, if any, the physical classroom involves, Dr. Sara Cody, health officer, on a Tuesday. Press conference.
“Whether schools can reopen for in-person instruction depends on the containment of COVID-19 in the coming months … We are monitoring a number of factors,” said Cody.
School closings spread throughout the Bay Area en masse when the pandemic struck in mid-March. Just a few weeks later, the six counties said they would follow the state’s recommendation to remain closed for the rest of the year, leaving teachers, students, and parents struggling to adapt to online learning.
Now, however, California and Bay Area counties are taking a more gradual approach to reopening. The state guide released earlier this month requires schools to offer in-person learning to the extent they can, depending on local health orders, leaving the details to local officials, in some cases, districts and individual schools. .
For its part, Santa Clara County has asked its districts to consider various scenarios for the year, including in-person instruction, remote learning, or a hybrid model. But just a month before August, officials did not directly respond when districts or parents should expect more information about a possible first day of school: Such plans “are not a guarantee that conditions will allow us to reopen in person.” said Mary Ann Dewan, the county superintendent.
“We still cannot know how changing conditions will affect instructional offerings this fall,” Dewan said, adding, “The health and safety of students and staff and the community remain paramount.” Schools must meet the requirements and study the guidance provided by the Department of Public Health and apply them. ”
If physical schools welcome students this fall, the county expects different age groups to comply with different rules, according to a new guide.
Elementary students, for example, would be taught in smaller, more stable groups, while high school students would be required to cover their faces at all times and follow stricter social distancing guidelines. Signs and floor markings must be used to enforce the six-foot rule in school offices, bus stops, and hallways. However, daily temperature controls would not be necessary.
San Jose East Side Union High School District Superintendent Chris Funk said the guidelines reflect what he and other district officials have already been discussing on their own for months. East Side schools tentatively plan to organize some face-to-face learning for vulnerable students, such as homeless or disabled children, but generally rely heavily on distance learning.
While districts pledged to adopt similar approaches earlier in the pandemic, the reopening requires a more school-by-school approach, particularly due to different age groups and demographics, he added.
“I am not going to be arrogant about this decision, and my first priority is to take care of the safety of staff and students first, and provide the best education we can secondly,” said Funk.
Similar protocols have been developed in San Mateo County, where school and health officials plan to stagger students, force face covering, and limit the number of students in classrooms. On Mount Contra of Costa County. Diablo Unified District, students will be taught in groups no larger than 15, the district said, and are expected to disinfect their hands upon arrival and wear masks. Parents and visitors will likely have limited access to campus.
Meanwhile, in Oakland, parents, staff, and community members in the Oakland Unified School District are writing proposals to consider fully remote and hybrid models, with a decision scheduled for July 10.
Decisions about high school sports in Santa Clara County are also expected later this summer, authorities said.
